sphinxx news alert  
24 February 2010 | www.sphinxx.com.au   

This week we talk about International Women’s Day, women and the battle for equality, an amazing Outback journey, what women want at work, and we have passes to giveaway to The Last Station.

1. YOUR CAREER: Your opportunity to celebrate success this IWD on March 8
2. WORK: Did we have a women's movement in Australia?
3. LIFE: When did you last take time out just for you?
4. OFFERS: Tell your story - what do women want at work?
5. OFFERS: THE LAST STATION - your invitation to a special pre-release screening

If you have an idea for a topic we should include in a future news alert, please let us know - we’d love to hear from you!

All the best,

Jen Dalitz
Founder & The SheEO, sphinxx.com.au

YOUR CAREER: Your opportunity to celebrate success this IWD on March 8

Every year as March 8 roles around, it’s a chance to reflect on the status of women in our workplaces and – I think – a chance to celebrate our achievements and advancements.

Sure, men still far outnumber women in our leadership ranks. But in Australia we’re making progress. We now have a female Governor General, a female Deputy Prime Minister (and Deputy Opposition Leader in Government), two female premiers. The CEO of our largest banking group is a woman and as we’ve seen in our sphinxx Ascend development days, there are a host of wonderful women leaders – like Sue Filby, Lynn Wood, Amery Burleigh and Pamela Catty - who are sharing their experiences to help other women realise their full potential.

And then there are the amazing participants at Ascend who are demonstrating leadership every day – like Liz , the local Bank Manager at Whittlesea who every day helps her community to rebuild their lives after the bushfires; Emma who took on management when her newest team member bragged about his starting wage that was higher than hers; and Cindy who persuaded her CEO to hand over the money she needed to run the women’s program now considered best practice in her industry.

We are all doing amazing things every day, in challenging environments and with many distractions. March 8 – International Women’s Day – is your chance to celebrate your achievements and those of the women around you. So I encourage you to organise a coffee meeting with your colleagues at your workplace, invite a guest speaker to address your team or just book lunch with the girls to mark this special occasion.

And don’t forget to share with us what you have planned – we have 5 sphinxx pamper packs to give away to the best blog posts.

This was the question posed by Amery Burleigh, General Manager of Novotel Brisbane and our guest Take the Lead speaker at last week's Ascend in Brisbane. Amery was raised in Carmel California and has lived and worked in the USA and Europe before moving to Australia seven years ago. So she is well placed to draw comparisons and ask the question, based on her observations that the culture in Australia is still a long way off supporting women in leadership.

So is any wonder we see articles like that in The Age / SMH and syndicated publications today outlining why women still face and uphill battle for equality.

I think it's time for a new uprising... is anyone with me?

When did you last take time out just for you?

If it was so long ago the memory is fading, or perhaps you can't even remember, then this Outback Journey may be just what you need: a beautiful tour in the Australian Outback where you will walk the Larapinta Trail, sleep under the stars, eat bush tucker and meet up with Aboriginal women who will share their wisdom (and take you to a sacred site for women). This amazing journey is being organised by Victoria Ugarte from Postcards From Millie who guarantees you will will come back from this journey absolutely transformed and inspired.

For more information visit the Women's Business for Business Women journey at www.postcardsfrommillie.com.au

Tell your story - what do women want at work?

Are you contemplating a career move to a more female friendly workplace? Or have you made the move already? sphinxx is currently producing a whitepaper to help employers in attracting, retaining and developing women into leadership roles and we're looking for women to tell their stories.

What has motivated you to consider the move? Was there a straw that broke the camels back? What are you hoping to find (or have found) in your new workplace and what advice you have for employers about attracting and retaining women into senior roles? Have you been bullied? Have you been overlooked for promotions? Have you been given inappropriate feedback or advice that has hindered your career and if so how did you respond?

From our investigations, some organisations and managers are completely clueless about what they need to do to make their workplace appeal to more high potential women... So we're looking for women to share their secrets. If you would like to help other working women and we'd love to hear from you. Please contact us in the first instance with an overview about you'd like employers to know about your experiences.

THE LAST STATION - your invitation to a special pre-release screening

We have 40 double passes for sphinxx readers to attend a special pre-release screening of The Last Station in Sydney. All you need to do is click here to claim your tickets. You will then receive an automated confirmation email that they print out and present at the door on the night. Easy peasy - I look forward to seeing you there!